Physical Activity Update | Eat Smart, Move More…NC

During the weeks that led up to the Daytona 500, NASCAR fans got to see one of the sport’s rising stars, Kasey Kahne, join the fight against obesity in a new series of TV advertisements. The race car driver starred in ads for Eat Smart, Move More…North Carolina to encourage healthy eating and physical activity.

Kahne was featured in 15-second spots airing during Speedweeks, the period that led up to the Daytona 500. The ads focus on encouraging fans to choose water over sugar-laden drinks and to be more physically active through simple choices. These behaviors are two of the seven evidence-based, simple solutions that the Eat Smart, Move More movement promotes in its efforts to help North Carolinians maintain a healthy weight.

The ads were aired in the following North Carolina media markets: Charlotte, Raleigh/Durham, Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point, and Wilmington. You are invited to view the ads at www.EatSmartMoveMoreNC.com.

Programs, Projects and Initiatives

Share What Works: NACCHO’s Model Practices Program

NACCHO is soliciting entries for its 5th Annual Model Practice Awards to enable local health departments to “share what works.” All local health departments and affiliate members of NACCHO are encouraged to submit examples of practices, programs, and/or policies.

Entries submitted by March 9, 2007 will be considered for a Model Practice award, to be presented at a reception during the 2007 NACCHO Annual Conference on July 11-13 in Columbus, Ohio. Applications will be judged by local health department representatives. In addition, Model Practice recipients will be placed in a drawing to receive a stipend toward hotel and registration costs for the 2007 NACCHO Annual Conference.

What is a Model Practice? A Model Practice is an initiative, program, resource, administrative practice, or tool that demonstrates exemplary and replicable qualities in response to a local public health need.

The practice does not have to be a traditional healthcare program, but can be an innovative idea, direction, or new way of doing business that can be evaluated.

A Model Practice meets the following criteria: local health department role, collaboration, innovation, responsiveness, and evaluation. Model practices cut across all areas of public health including infectious disease, emergency preparedness, community health, environmental health, and infrastructure.

NACCHO encourages submissions of both programs and non-programmatic initiatives that further efforts to address community health. For more information, visit this site or contact Emma Green at (202) 783-5550, Ext. 232, or e-mail practices@naccho.org
(From Physical Activity One-Way Listserv, February 12th, 2007).

Success Stories

Granville County Develops Greenway Master Plan

The LiveWell Granville Health Promotion Group, led by Jackie Sergent, Health Promotion Coordinator for the Granville-Vance Health District, has developed a Greenway Master Plan. The Granville County plan outlines a proposed 22 routes and approximately 210 miles of trails.

The greenway master plan (GMP) establishes non-motorized transportation and recreation as a local priority, while also providing guidance to local officials and planners for balancing economic development and maintaining the county’s rural beauty.

The LiveWell Granville workgroup obtained grant funding from the Eat Smart, Move More … North Carolina initiative to begin the process of plan development.

The workgroup began their efforts by using information gathered through public information sessions and forums, and listening to what the community members desired.

The workgroup also contracted with a retired engineer to inventory and map existing utility (i.e., power, gas, water and sewer) and rail easements, assessing them for feasibility of use in the greenway system.

The data were used to make recommendations on long-range planning, oversight, connectivity, rights-of-way, accessibility and corridor acquisition, as well as residential, industrial, utility and recreational development, railroad corridors, off-road vehicle trails, environmental protection and funding resources. Read the whole story at this site.

Featured Resources and Research

National Report Showcases Programs Succeeding Through School Leader Engagement

Action for Healthy Kids has published a report titled From the Top Down: Engaging School Leaders in Creating a Healthier, More Physically Active School Environment. The report highlights model nutrition and physical activity programs that are succeeding because of school leader engagement and endorsement. For more information go to this site.
(From [Enewsletter] NCPPA News 2/2/07)

Active Living Resource Center (ALRC), Active Facts- New Documents

The Active Living Resource Center (ALRC) has added two new documents to its Active Facts series: “Getting Youth Involved In Planning,” and “Complete Streets for Active Communities.” The ALRC program is managed by the National Center for Bicycling & Walking with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The Active Facts series is aimed at individuals and members of small neighborhood associations that are working to make their communities more bicycle-friendly and walkable, and thus more active places to live. Feel free to download these and other documents in the Active Facts series and provide them to local advocates you’re working with.

You’ll find all of the Active Facts documents listed in the ALRC library along with many other documents the ALRC staff has collected for use at the neighborhood level at this site.
(From Physical Activity One-Way Listserv, February 12th, 2007)

Focus on Secondary Condition Prevention: Enabling Fitness Environments and Empowering People with Multiple Sclerosis to Increase Exercise and Improve Health

Article Review: A Qualitative Analysis of a Progressive Resistance Exercise Programme for People with Multiple Sclerosis

Secondary conditions can take the form of physical, environmental, and social consequences that impact the health of people with disabilities. In the journal Disability and Rehabilitation, Dodd, Taylor, Denisenko, & Prasad (September 2006; 28(18): 1127-1134) explored perceptions of a progressive resistance exercise program for adults with multiple sclerosis.

Barriers and facilitators to exercise can become important determinants of long-term adherence to fitness and health promotion programs, which can help to mitigate or prevent secondary conditions such as fatigue, pain, and muscular weakness. To read the column, go to this site.
(From February 2007 NCPAD Monthly Newsletter)

New! Movimiento and Step by Step Music CD/DVDs

NDEP introduces two new combination music CD/DVDs that encourage movement, Movimiento and Step by Step. Movimiento is a music CD created to help Hispanics and Latinos incorporate more movement into their lives. It features six original songs with empowering messages and strong Latin rhythms, emphasizing that moderate physical activity can make a difference. The Movimiento CD also contains a music video, “Movimiento por su vida,” which can be viewed on a DVD player.

Step by Step is a music CD created to help African Americans incorporate more physical activity into their lives. It features three original songs with empowering messages and music that makes you want to get up and dance, as well as three songs from the popular Movimiento CD. The Step by Step CD also contains a music video, “Every Day is a New Beginning,” which can be viewed on a DVD player.

To order get a free copy of Movimiento and Step by Step, visit this site. You can also download songs from both CDs from the web site.
(From NDEP NEWS & NOTES, February 2007)

EPA: School Siting Impacts Walking and Bicycling

Recent trends in school development and construction are making it harder for kids to find safe routes to walk and bike to schools. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the number of schools in the United States decreased from 262,000 in 1930 to 91,000 today, while the student population over the same time has risen from 28 million to 53.5 million. This has resulted in larger schools on bigger sites that are increasingly located further away from the neighborhoods and towns they serve.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a survey in 2004 asking parents of children aged 5-18 what barriers prevented their child from walking to school. The most commonly reported barrier was distance to school (61.5%), followed by traffic-related danger (30.4%), then weather (18.6%). The relevance of this information to the Safe Routes to School movement is clear—schools that are far away discourage walking and biking to school.
During the next twenty years, thousands of schools will be built or renovated across the country. Decisions about the location, construction, and renovation of these schools will have important implications for how kids get to and from school. To find out more about this and other issues related to school siting, check out the EPA’s Smart Growth and Schools.
For more information go to this site.
(From Safe Routes to School E-News: February 2007)

ALRC Accepting Applications for City SRTS Pilot Program

Applications due March 7, 2007
The Active Living Resource Center (ALRC) is pleased to announce six openings for its spring/fall 2007 City Safe Routes to School Pilot Program. The ALRC staff initiated the City SRTS program in 2006 after noting that SRTS programs were not getting the same pickup in urban schools that they were getting in suburban schools.

The focal point of the City SRTS program is a community workshop or meeting. Prior to the workshop or meeting, the ALRC staff works with local organizers to try to identify the issues, existing municipal resources, and other programs that may have shared or similar purposes.

Cities, schools, agencies, and/or organizations interested in participating in this program should go to this site.

For more information and an application. Completed applications must be submitted to the ALRC before March 7th. If you have any questions on the program or need a mailed application, please contact Mark Plotz at mark@bikewalk.org or Sharon Roerty sharon@bikewalk.org.(From Safe Routes to School E-News: February 2007)

Legislation

North Carolina Statewide Health Promotion H23 and S25

Bills have been filed in both the House (H23) and the Senate (S25) supporting a $4.3 million appropriation for the Statewide Health Promotion Program. This funding will support the work of one full time public health professional in each county to work on the issues of physical activity, healthy eating, and tobacco use prevention and cessation. The bills can be viewed at this link and this link.

PLAY Everyday Act of 2007(S651)

Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Hilary Clinton (D-NY) introduced the PLAY (Promoting Lifelong Active Communities) Everyday Act on February 15 to help promote the national recommendation of physical activity to kids, families, and communities. The bill calls for the development of an assessment tool titled a Community Play Index. The Index will measure the barriers in communities to youth participating in physical activity.

The legislation also calls for grants to model play communities that will help them to “enable the maximum use or the creation of spaces for physical activity for children and families before, during and after school; enhance opportunities and access for children and families to participate in quality physical activity and physical education programs and engage and mobilize community leaders, experts and the media to raise awareness and educate the public about the importance of including 60 minutes of physical activity every day. To read about the proposed bill go to this link.
(From [Enewsletter] Activity Advocate; January/February 2007)

Healthy Places Act of 2007 (HR 398)

Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis (D-CA) re-introduced the Healthy Places Act in the House. The Healthy Places Act of 2007 incorporates federal, state and local levels of government in addressing environmental health issues, from the doctor’s office to Main Street to the neighborhood playgrounds. The relationship between the built environment-including homes, schools, parks, transportation and community design-and the health of children is a vitally important aspect of public health

To read about the proposed bill go to this link
(From [Enewsletter] Activity Advocate; January/February 2007)

Grants

Announcement of Safe Routes to School Mini-Grant

Letter of Intent due March 15, 2007
Application due April 10, 2007

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has funded the State and Territorial Injury Prevention Directors Association (STIPDA) to administer a mini-grant program to assist public health professionals to develop a model of how public health professionals can utilize Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) training to strengthen local partnerships and bring together the various organizational entities needed to create successful SRTS programs that are institutionalized within the school system.

The purpose of the mini-grant program is to engage the public health community in Safe Routes to School programs. Using the funding from this mini-grant, the awardees will convene key stakeholders to develop and begin implementation of a plan to create a successful SRTS program for their community.

A key component of this mini-grant is to improve collaboration and coordination between the various SRTS stakeholders (public health, transportation, SRTS state coordinators, police, school, community officials, etc.)

Eligible applicants include state and local health department injury prevention programs. State applicants will work with a local community to carry out the mini-grant activities. Depending on the funds available, three to six applicants will be awarded approximately $12,500 each.

A subset of the awardees will be randomly selected to each receive approximately $3,000 in additional funds for tools, trainings, and expertise to enhance collaboration while developing their SRTS programs. This latter group of awardees will be assigned a mentor who has extensive experience in SRTS and will be trained to focus more extensively on collaboration and partnerships to ensure long-term coalition/collaborative sustainability.
The mini-grant project period will be one year beginning in June 2007. Letters of intent are due on March 15, 2007, and the Request for Proposals (RFP) deadline is April 10, 2007. The RFP can be downloaded from STIPDA’s Web site at www.stipda.org. Should you have any questions, please contact Michelle Wynn at (770) 690-9000 or michelle.wynn@stipda.org.

Games or Health Competition

Deadline for Applications: March 30, 2007

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has announced a nationwide contest to promote the development of computer and video games that improve people’s health and help them get the care they need. The Games for Health Competition will award prizes totaling $30,000 to entrants who develop game concepts or prototypes aimed at improving aspects of health and healthcare. Three prizes will be awarded, one for a working prototype and two for storyboard/design treatments. For more information, go to this link. (From [Enewsletter] NCPPA News 2/2/07)

Stride Rite and Saucony Announcement Red Laces Program to Fight Childhood Obesity

Deadlines for Applications: March 30, 2007

Saucony, a subsidiary of the Stride Rite Corporation, is committed to addressing the national epidemic of childhood obesity by cultivating a new wave of young runners. As part of this commitment, the company has partnered with Runner’s World magazine to launch the Saucony Run For Good Red Laces Program, which provides grants to communities and nonprofit organizations that support after-school running and physical fitness programs for kids.

All proposals must demonstrate that the grantee will conduct programs which increase participation in running in order to positively impact the lives of participants. Program participants must be 18 years of age or younger, and applicant organizations must have 501(c) (3) tax-exempt status.

The selection of grant recipients will be based on the following: utilization of running participation for enhanced health and/or well-being in children; ability to serve youth populations not traditionally exposed to running programs; and the ability to demonstrate support and inspiration in creating a program that exemplifies the Saucony Run For Good Program’s mission of inspiring the community of runners. For more information go to this site.
(From [Enewsletter] NCPPA News 2/2/07)

Take Action: Healthy People, Places, and Practices in Communities Project

Deadline for Application: March 30, 2007

Through the Take Action: Healthy People, Places, and Practices in Communities Project, the U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) and the Regional Health Administrators (RHAs) are seeking community-based groups to develop, carry out, and evaluate a unique set of activities in local settings that support the President’s HealthierUS initiative to promote and sustain healthy lifestyles in communities.

For more information go to this site.
(From CDC’s and NSPAPPH Physical Activity One-Way Listserv, February 20th, 2007).

Hamburger Helper Announces Grant Program for Communities Across America

Deadline for Applications: May 31, 2007

Hamburger Helper, a General Mills food brand, is looking to lend a “helping hand” to neighborhoods across the United States with its “My Hometown Helper” grant program. Individuals from communities and organizations across America can visit the program’s Web site to submit a written essay describing how the “My Hometown Helper” grant would help improve their community project. Examples of possible community projects include: lights or bleachers for baseball, soccer, or football fields; playground equipment for a park; new uniforms for Little League teams, etc.

Applicants can request a one-time award of between $500 and $15,000 during any single month. All requests for funding must be sponsored by a municipal or civic organization or public school. The program will award “helping hand” grants each month from online applications received through May 2007. Applications will be evaluated monthly.

Funds will be awarded based on the merit of the project, including its impact on and support within the community. For more information on the “My Hometown Helper” program and complete guidelines, visit the program’s Web site.
(From [Enewsletter] NCPPA News 2/2/07)

Training and Professional Development

BlaZeSports America National Disability Sports Conference

March 9-11, 2007
Athens, GA

If you want to learn more about BlazeSports and the field of health and
physical disability, plan on attending BlazeSports annual conference, Blazesports America National Disability Sports Conference March 9-11, 2007 in Athens, Georgia. There are workshops specific to the world of disability but general sessions on marketing/communications, grant writing, and obesity.

Complete program and registration information is available at this site.

National Bike Summit

March 13-16, 2007
Washington, DC.

The summit is an opportunity for the bicycling community to communicate with top-level government leaders who have the power to dramatically improve bicycling in the United States. For more information go to this site.
(From [Enewsletter] NCPPA News 2/2/07)

2007 AAHPERD National Convention

March 13-17, 2007
Baltimore, MD

This conference, sponsored by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance features a comprehensive program including programming and events targeted to the distinct populations of the health and physical activity industry; world-renowned keynote speakers; a Job Fair and Placement Center and a multi-faceted Exposition Hall with demonstrations, products, and services. For more information go to this site.
(From [Enewsletter] NCPPA News 2/2/07)

ACSM’s Health and Fitness Summit & Exposition

March 21-24, 2007
Dallas, Texas

The American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Summit seeks to bridge the gap existing between the science of sports medicine and practice for the fitness professional, broadly defined. The 2007 Summit will boast superior faculty, hand-chosen to address the most timely, and cutting edge issues.

For more information go to this site.
(From [Enewsletter] NCPPA News 2/2/07)

24th Annual Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Conference

BRFSS: Promoting Healthier, Safer People”
March 24-28, 2007
Decatur, Ga

The Behavioral Surveillance Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention invites you to participate in the 24th Annual Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Conference.

Training will be conducted March 24 -25, 2007. Please visit our website and preview the training courses that will be conducted. We encourage you to register for training as soon as possible, as space is limited. You must register for the conference to attend training. The early bird conference registration fee is 300.00, after February 16th, registration will be 335.00.

This year’s conference will be held at the Holiday Inn Decatur, located at 130 Clairemont Ave, Decatur Ga, 30030. The conference room rate is $124 plus tax. For your convenience, hotel reservations can be made by calling 1-800-Holiday (1-800-465-4329), please identify yourself as attending the CDC-BRFSS Conference. The reservation cutoff date for the government rate is February 16, 2007.

For additional information, please contact Julie Brown in the Behavioral Surveillance Branch at JBrown4@cdc.gov or 770-488-2546 or visit our website for training registration.

National Home and Livability Summit

April 17-19, 2007
Atlanta, GA

The National recreation and Park Association invites local, state, and national officials and citizen advocates to join together to examine new management practices, and investigate the vital contributions park and recreation agencies make to increase the quality to life, health, and livability of the individuals they serve. Park and recreation professionals, citizen advocates, and local leaders are encouraged to take part in this national forum to address health and livability at the local, state, and national level.

Together, you will assist in launching nationally recommended policies for communities to foster healthy lifestyles and more livable communities. For more information go to this site.
(From [Enewsletter] NCPPA News 2/2/07)

A Shared Vision: The North Carolina Chronic Disease Conference

May 8, 2007
Chapel Hill, NC

Save the date. This one-day program will provide practical information demonstrating the value and importance of working together in the prevention and control of chronic disease. In addition to promoting the concepts of chronic disease program integration, primary and secondary prevention strategies to reduce risk factors related to chronic disease will be discussed.

The latest evidence-based and practice- based information on, and tools for, program integration/ chronic diseases will also be disseminated. For more information contact Wake AHEC at 919-350-8547.

Accessibility Coordinator Training: Accessibility Management for Parks and Recreation

May 14-17, 2007
Bloomington, IN

A comprehensive accessibility management program is the key to success for park and recreation agencies. This NCA training course is designed to give Accessibility Coordinators in parks and recreation the foundation for implementing an accessibility management program.

This course is ideal for professionals with newly appointed responsibilities and for those looking to brush up on the latest information for accessibility compliance.
Sessions will include discussions of the characteristics and needs of people with disabilities, legislative mandates and litigation, accessibility standards and common errors, the application of universal design to park and recreation environments, program access, considerations for conducting accessibility assessments, visitor use, marketing, and comprehensive planning.

Examples and best practices in accessibility management will be presented throughout the sessions. A field exercise will give participants an opportunity to practice conducting an accessibility assessment along with discussing considerations for prioritization of physical and programmatic barrier removal. The training program will be conducted at the Indiana Memorial Union on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington.

For more information or to register for the course, visit the National Center on Accessibility web site.

International Conference on Physical Fitness and Obesity in Children

June 24-27, 2007
Toronto, Canada

The conference aims to inform the development of a scientifically-based community strategy to reduce the incidence of childhood and youth obesity through increased sport and physical activity participation.

For more information go to this site.
(From [Enewsletter] NCPPA News 2/2/07)

Partnerships to Achieve Health Equity

October 31 – November 3, 2007
Alexandria, VA
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
Deadline: March 15, 2007

Abstracts are now being accepted online for workshops, symposia, oral presentations, and posters for SOPHE’s 58th Annual Meeting, Partnerships to Achieve Health Equity, October 31 - November 3, 2007, in Alexandria, Virginia, minutes from downtown Washington, DC.

SOPHE is pleased to be partnering with CDC’s Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH 2010) program and Eta Sigma Gamma for its 40th Annual Meeting. Sub-themes include health systems change; social determinants of health and transdisciplinary approaches to health education; health communications, health literacy and technology; cultural competence in bridging differences, and; evaluation and dissemination of evidence-based approaches.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email Cynthia Crocker at ccrocker@cdc.gov.
To submit an abstract, go to this site.

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2007 All-USA Teacher Team

In this recognition program for outstanding K-12 teachers, 20 winners share $2,500 awards with their schools and are featured in USA Today. Deadline is April 30, 2007. Visit www.allstars.usatoday.com.